World’s Most Popular Landmarks

 The verdict is according to Travel + Leisure’s first-ever landmarks survey, in which they asked readers to determine which landmarks they’ve traveled to see. They used the results to determine the world’s most popular landmarks, a revealing list of longtime favorites and buzzed-about newcomers like the High Line.
These famous places are just the beginning–see which other landmarks have lured travelers to experience their magic.

#1  Statue of Liberty, New York City
More than a century after France gifted this 151-foot copper sculpture to the United States, three million—plus visitors head to Liberty Island each year to admire it.

#2 Empire State Building, New York City
Manhattan’s classic skyscraper soaring 1,435 feet above 34th Street is widely considered the quintessential Art Deco landmark and currently holds the record as the city’s tallest building.

#3 Golden Gate Bridge, San Francisco
Spanning 4,200 feet across Golden Gate Strait, the structure’s dramatic setting, orange color, and sheer size have made it one of the world’s most recognized bridges since 1937.

#4 Eiffel Tower, Paris
Gustave Eiffel’s 984-foot monument of open-latticed wrought iron wowed the 1889 World Expo, instantly becoming a Paris icon–despite initial resistance from Parisians themselves.

#5 Big Ben, London
Though the name refers exclusively to its 13-ton bell, the world’s most famous clock tower has helped keep Londoners punctual since 1859.

#6 Colosseum, Rome
When construction finished on this 513-foot freestanding amphitheater in A.D. 82, 50,000 Romans could pack in to ogle gladiator death battles and mock naval combat.

#7 Millennium Park,  Chicago
The standout features of Chicago’s 24.7-acre Millennium Park include Anish Kapoor’s jellybean-like Cloud Gate sculpture, Frank Gehry’s Jay Pritzker Pavilion, and various outdoor art exhibitions.
#8 St. Peter’s Basilica, Rome
It took a star-studded team of Renaissance masters–including Raphael, Michelangelo, and Bernini–more
than a century to complete the Vatican’s magnificent, art-filled cathedral.

#9 Swiss Re Building, London
Nicknamed The Gherkin, the 2004 glass-paneled, rocket-shaped office tower in London’s financial center was designed by Norman Foster using 10,000 tons of structural steel.

# 10 The High Line, New York City
Flower beds, day loungers, even a bar occupy this once-abandoned elevated rail bed–reconceived by Diller, Scofidio, and Renfro–that now threads through buildings from the Meatpacking District to West 30th Street.

Posted by Sophia Andrews on Sunday January 22 2012, 3:49 AM EST. Ref: Yahoo. All trademarks acknowledged. Filed under Featured News, Travel. Comments and Trackbacks closed. Follow responses: RSS 2.0